JAMMU: A Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer, who impersonated as Director of Agriculture, and two of his associates-one impersonating as SSB member– besides two Kathua-based agents have been booked for cheating unemployed youth by luring them for government jobs.
The accused managed fake interviews at Srinagar to fetch more and more money. During preliminary investigations, Crime Branch (CB) has recovered over Rs 20 lakhs deposited by these accused in various banks in Srinagar, Kathua and Samba.
Those booked have been identified as Hanif, Abdul Hamid Dar alias Zahid Ahmed Dar, son of Aman Ullah Dar, resident of Kaunthal, Tehsil Pattan, care of HMT Chattan, Srinagar and Farooq Ahmed Joo (Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer), son of Ghulam Qadir Joo, resident of Chakat Pura, Pulwama, who duped unemployed youth.
According to the Crime Branch, a complaint was lodged by Swarn Lal, son of Dhaya Ram, resident of village Mehha Chak, Kathua, wherein he alleged that Hanif projected himself to be highly influential person having links with the Ministers.
Hanif assured that he being highly influential can arrange for the sons of his sister as he himself is the member of the Service Selection Board (SSB) and that some amount shall have to be paid which is to be shared amongst other members of the committee. Accordingly, Rs. 1.5 lakh was paid to him by Swarn Lal and Rs. 1.5 lalh by his sister.
Hanif thereafter called Swarn Lal and the candidates at Srinagar where he, in connivance with accused Abdul Hamid Dar alias Zahid Ahmed Dar and Farooq Ahmed Joo managed fictitious interviews and called one person named Sheikh Mohammad Shabir.
Thereafter, the candidates were asked to join at Shopian where accused Hanif introduced accused Farooq Ahmed Joo as Director of Agriculture Department whereas later, it was learnt, was only Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer.
It was further alleged that the accused also called two relatives of Swran Lal to Srinagar for their appointment in Tourism department and again took Rs. 3 lakhs from them. However, after waiting for a long time, when no response was received, the accused were approached who assured Swran Lal that employment shall be provided at all costs.
To further convince him, Farooq Ahmed Joo told Swran Lal that Abdul Hamid Dar and Hanief were frauds but he can manage the appointments and in this way again took huge amount of money from him.
Farooq Ahmed, in connivance with one Radhey Sham son of Chuni Lal and Rajesh Kumar, son of Mohan Lal both residents of Kathua, who acted as his agents, started taking money from different persons including the relatives of Swran Lal and thereby cheated number of unemployed youth and collected lakhs of rupees.
On receipt of complaint, a preliminary verification was initiated in the Crime Branch, Jammu and during the course of verification it was found that accused Zahid Dar alias Abdual Hamid Dar, Hanif and Farooq Ahmed Joo allured Swran Lal on the pretext of providing Government jobs to his relatives and others and also conducted mock interviews at Srinagar in order to befool the candidates and stage managed their joining at Shopian and obtained cash amounting to lakhs of rupees through fraudulent means. It also came to fore that Swran Lal and the candidates paid the money amounting to lakhs of rupees on different dates to the accused persons in their given bank accounts numbers 30157106812 which belonged to Zahid Dar and account number 20025759914 which belonged to Farooq Joo, both operating from SBI Branch Akhara Building, Budshah Chowk, Srinagar.
As per the bank statement, an amount of Rs. 15,17,000 was found received in the account of accused Zahid Dar whereas, an amount of Rs. 5,79,120 was found received in the account of Farooq Joo from Dyalachak, Hiranagar and Samba area, which the accused had received illegally from Swran Lal and others and misappropriated on their personal use, FIR under section 420,406,120-B RPC has been registered while investigations have been set in motion.